The Summary

Nothing will stand in Millie Price's way of achieving her goal of becoming a Broadway star. Not her adorably shy father, who has raised Millie alone since she was a baby, or Oliver, the drama club adversary who epitomizes Simmering Romantic Tension. Millie needs a supporter. And when Millie ends up on her dad's painfully depressing LiveJournal from 2003 thanks to an accidently left-open browser, she knows exactly what to do: go locate her mother.

The Summary

A riotous trip through the tropics: Mayor Holly confronts the older retirees in the neighborhood when stagnation endangers the future of her beloved island. Can Holly find a way to save her piece of paradise with the secrets swirling around, the potential for family strife, and her ex-boyfriend still sticking around?

The Summary

A good daughter, Nina Gregory has always been. Nina learned the value of family, reputation, and legacy from her father, the opulent Gregory Hotels' owner, who raised her. Tim, her passionate lover and childhood best friend, shares the same sentiments. However, Nina's father leaves a secret behind when he passes away that completely astounds her. Nina finds herself torn between the world she adores and a passion that has the potential to change everything as she soon starts to see the men in her life, her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her boss, Rafael, in a new light.

My Review

Finding your identity within the norms and expectations of your family is the focus of this book. presents readers to a critical period in Nina Gregory's life. Sadly, I was unable to emotionally connect with this extremely well written piece of work.

For me, it lacked substance. This was a rather superficial story that didn't make me feel anything particularly deep. The primary plot of the novel didn't begin until approximately halfway through. Nina's life changed when her devoted father passed suddenly and information about his enigmatic past came to light. It's common to feel disoriented after a significant loss, but Nina's trajectory didn't feel right.

Despite all of her "problems," Nina occasionally comes across as conceited. I'm aware that I should have had some sort of empathy for her, but I didn't. She struck me as being quite flat, almost as if she were simply "going thru the motions" with everything rather than being a person with a soul and emotions. It could have just been the way the character was written.

The development of the characters happened too soon and abruptly. In spite of the fact that the book's characters seem to have fascinating backstories, I think it failed to emphasize any of them, which rendered all of the relationships and mistakes completely uninteresting.

There are no substantial story points, everything is still light and flimsy, and I have little interest in any of the characters. Actually, I was on the verge of giving up as I was going too far. Santopolo writes captivatingly, which is a blessing. She consistently keeps me engaged in the story, regardless of the premise. She simply has a gift for crafting digestible yet gripping tales.

I ultimately felt that this was a tremendous miss. I'll undoubtedly read another book by Santopolo. Sadly, I just wasn't made for this one.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.

The Summary

Because she hasn't visited her magical town of Thistle Grove in years, Emmy Harlow is a witch, but she isn't a very powerful one. Gareth Blackmoore, the heir to the most powerful magical family in town and a habitual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams, has very little to do with her self-imposed exile and a lot to do with her convoluted family past and desire to make her own place in the world.

But as a spellcasting competition for which her family participates as judges draws near, it turns out that tradition (or the genuinely spectacular parental guilt trip that goes along with it) is powerful enough to convince Emmy to return. She's determined to fulfill her obligations to her family, spend time with her best friend, Linden Thorn, and return to her normal life in Chicago.

On her first night back, Emmy meets Talia Avramov, a badass expert in the darker magical arts who has recently gone through a difficult split with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had fallen for the charm, only to find out that Linden and Gareth were seeing each other secretly. She and Linden are now seeking retribution. There is only one last query: Is Emmy in?

My Review

It's quite cute. In actuality, I enjoyed this one. While this book featured a fantastic romance, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the magical fantasy components were executed. This book, in my opinion, was very well balanced.

I liked how Emmy's reappearance, Thistle Grove's enchantment, and the ghostly vibe of the community were all introduced right at the beginning. We also encounter scions from every magical family early on, and Emmy's reasons for avoiding this location become clear immediately away.

I was highly impressed by Harper's writing's depth. Her nuances are perfect, and her writing is very polished and entertaining to read. The worldbuilding and imagery in the language are really rich. The book's elaborate, frequently archaic syntax meshes well with modern idioms. Without a doubt, readers who like language and setting will enjoy this book.

Unluckily, the reading is rather slow and descriptive. I was truly excited to pick it up until about halfway through. Thankfully, it picked up again toward the conclusion, but the focus on little details irrelevant to the conflict made me stop caring about the story and the interactions between the characters.

I was pleased with the characters, actually. The portrayal of the other characters is likewise extremely good. The characters have such great chemistry that you can't help but hope that they will somehow end up together. The concept of people marrying witches becoming witches themselves hasn't really crossed my mind, but it was in this book. I thought that was a good concept.

I found that Talia and Emmy have a great relationship. Emmy and Talia's exciting chemistry is a big part of what initially draws them together. But after seeing Talia's frail side, it was obvious why Emmy would also become emotionally invested in the relationship. Although the relationship may use some improvement, I still believe it significantly advances the story.

Overall, I found this to be really fascinating and would undoubtedly read the remaining books in this series.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.

The Summary

She Eden didn't require anyone else because she had her best friend, Katie. Then there was Truman, though.

The Summary

Head-in-the-stars Audrey is going to wed practical Josh. Josh is just what Audrey needs; despite being total opposites, they have a happy, solid relationship. But romance ought to be unpredictable and exciting, and as the big day nears, Audrey has begun to doubt whether Josh is truly "The One."

As a result, Audrey feels conflicted when Josh's sister and Fred, her "What If? boyfriend," who she met six years ago and spent a fantastic day with, attend the rehearsal dinner. It couldn't be a coincidence that Fred shows up the night before her wedding, can it? And when everything that could possibly go wrong with the wedding does, Audrey is forced to wonder if fate is intervening to save her from committing a grave error. Or does fate simply have a very peculiar sense of humor?

My Review

I had expressed interest in this book before it was published, and when I eventually got the time to read it, the love triangle left me feeling utterly conflicted. In all honesty, I found the book to be a decent amount of fun, but there were a few things that I would find challenging to accept in real life.

The day before Audrey and Josh's wedding, her concerns start to develop when Fred, the man she had a brief but wonderful day with six years ago, shows up as a plus-one. Does she make efforts to alter the future? Who will she choose?

If you follow the tale, it becomes increasingly compelling and occasionally jumps, and it is well worth it. The moment Josh and Audrey were on the plane in an obviously absurd circumstance is one of the highlights. They are having the most entertaining chat.

The background of how Audrey and Josh met and fell in love was messy and insane, but also wonderfully beautiful and lovable. It made me adore them together. Audrey and Fred's story had a nice beginning, too, but I thought the ending was terribly confusing.

I didn't like how Audrey seemed to be using trauma as an excuse for her behavior. I did wish that the book had gone into more detail on Audrey's experience. There was a lot to be told about her past and her connection to her mother. She needed it so badly for growth, and I felt like everything was wrapped up way too hastily.

I also didn't like how Audrey's past made her suddenly question her decisions on the wedding day and feel a tiny bit like she was having an affair with Josh. Nobody wants their fiance to betray them by questioning their wedding just because they restarted their friendship with an ex-lover or someone they once clicked with.

Even still, there were times in the book when I found myself becoming irritated with her because I didn't agree with what she was doing. But as it came to a conclusion, I could better understand her. I still admire her growth and adventure.

Despite the fact that I found the plot of this book to be quite intriguing, I think it could have been done better. The strategy, in my opinion, is effective because, as the suspense in the chapters set in the present day increases, it leaves the reader wondering what will truly happen at the wedding.

Although I wouldn't say this is my favorite book by Cousens, I do admire how she always employs her unique writing style in all of her books. She has a great sense of humor in her novel, and I can't quit laughing at it. She also has fantastic secondary characters and world building. This book includes everything.

There are many enjoyable aspects to this book! I think a lot of people will enjoy the story. Simply said, it wasn't the best fit for me.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.